James Potter and the Magic Map
by buckbeaksblog
Summary: Set in the Marauders fourth year, this story is told from James Potter's POV as the renowned group of Gryffindor's discover a hidden secret in the school.Discovering the impossible they find themselves intertwined in an adventure of complex magic, unheard of places and The trails.Unknowingly James takes on a responsibility that has been set for centuries and will change his future.
1. Chapter 1 - Transfiguration Class

James Potter was awesome and he knew it. He knew that from his ruffled hair to his pointed shoes everything about him screamed 'THIS GUY IS COOL'. And what's more, he knew he was hot. Sure, there were plenty of cute, attractive boys at his school but he was the full package. He was charismatic, attractive AND clever. He was the kind of guy that any normal girl would dream of. Unfortunately, Lily Evans was not a normal girl. Perhaps that was why he liked her so much. It wasn't that he was a player who liked to see if he could woo the least interested girl. Oh, no. Not at all. But there was something about her that made him want act that way. Maybe it was the fact she was, in his opinion, utterly beautiful. Maybe it was because she was different. Or maybe it was simply because she just didn't care. And James found that he had a strange liking to people who didn't care. Especially himself. Because, honestly now, if you were him you would love yourself too.

And this is what he was thinking as he gazed out of the window in Transfiguration class on a Monday morning. It had been an awesome weekend – him and Sirius had found a new secret passage out of the school – but now it had come to a frustrating end and classes had begun again. James was bored. It wasn't that he didn't like transfiguration, in fact, it was his best subject. He just didn't like class. Or school for that matter.

"James Potter! Will you stop staring out the window like a gaping fish and pay attention. This is the sixth time this lesson I've had to ask you. Honestly, what is it with you today."

James snuck a sideways smirk at Remus who was sitting next to him.

"I'm sorry Professor. It's just that this class isn't really my level. I think that I need something more challenging you see."

Professor. McGonagoll's lips were set in a straight line and her eyes glinted with disapproval.

"Very well then. If you honestly think that you're too good for this class," She spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm "then you can transfigure this table into a pony and let it carry you out the room. Since you are clearly too lazy to do so yourself."

Professor McGonagoll looked smug. She thought she had beaten him now. James merely shrugged.

"Okay then Professor."

James started muttering quietly. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You know," He whispered amused," swearing and cursing under your breath isn't going to help you out of this one."

"I'm not swearing. I'm muttering an incantation."

Beside him, Remus whispered frustratedly "God James. Don't. You could just admit to being a twat, you don't have to always show off."

"Oh I wouldn't worry Lupin. It's all just big talk. I doubt Potter could even perform the task I set today. He hasn't handed in a single homework on transfiguring objects to animals. As if he could very well-"

And at that moment, the table suddenly stood up and neighed. James had done it. The pony was missing an ear and half a nose but that was besides the point.

"Toodle-oo McGonagoll." James shouted out through the screaming chaos of the classroom as he jumped on the pony's back and waddled away.

"POTTER! YOU COME BACK HERE-" But her voice was blocked out by a high pitched scream as one of the girls stepped in a large pile of horse poo. How the pony had produced so much manure in a matter of seconds James did not know, nor did he particularly want to find out. He looked back once more as he left the classroom behind him and though he knew McGonagoll would never admit it, he could see a glint of pride glisten in her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Trials

About ten minutes after his grand exit from Transfiguration class James realised that it wasn't so fun being out of lessons. He was on his own and there was no one to show off to. He didn't have anything to do and he couldn't very well go back to class now. That would be lame. Super lame.

Besides, he needed to find something else cool and funny to do so that when everyone finished class in twenty five minutes he would have something to show off about that he did while everyone else was working. Or, more likely, cleaning up pony poo. But he couldn't think of anything so he decided to head back to the common room. He could hang out with some of the older kids on their study breaks.

It suddenly occurred to James that he was walking down a corridor he had never seen before. There were no suits of armour, no painting even. Just smooth blank walls coated in cobwebs. The floor was blanketed in a thick layer of dust and when he looked back he could see a neat set of footprints. His footprints. The care taker, Apollyon Pringle, clearly hadn't been here in a while. Or maybe he didn't even know about this place...

Nearing the end of the corridor James scanned around for a door. But there was nothing there. He ran his fingers along the wall, clearing away the cobwebs and the dust. It couldn't be so. Why would you build a corridor with a dead end? Especially a secret one. In all his day dreaming he wasn't sure how he'd even got into the corridor but it was evident nobody had been here recently.

Suddenly he felt a ripple along the wall. Drawing back his hand, James watched as words began to form:

'WELCOME TO THE TRIALS.'

James stepped back in shock and confusion. The trials? What trials? It sounded awfully dangerous to him. And why was it here? What kind of trial would be held in a school?

But before he could contemplate any more the wall began to ripple again.

'WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, JAMES POTTER.'

Okay, now he was starting to get creeped out. What was this enchanted wall doing here and how did it know his name? What were the trials and why had he wondered into this corridor, of all corridors, by accident? Was this even an accident? And above all else, why had it been waiting for him?

The wall began to ripple again and form a sentence that turned his blood cold. His face drained and paled and his hands began to shake.

'RUN'

James fled the room.


End file.
